Ash tray



United States Patent 3,270,912 ASH TRAY Irwin H. Winkelried, 45 Van Ness Court, Maplewood, NJ. Filed Oct. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 402,547 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-63) This invention deals with an ash tray which may be of the table or stand variety. More specifically, it relates to an ash tray having a non-flammable collapsible liner which may be drawn 'out of the tray body through an open ing in the bottom thereof.

Ash trays having removable liners have been disclosed in the art. They have the disadvantage, however, of having the liner loosely placed on the tray body, so that a gust of air may readily dislodge it or blow it away with its contents. -Also, such liners are diflicult to gather into an enclosed package for disposal. Some liners are provided with edges which project beyond the edge of the tray body for easier grasping with the fingers, but such projections are unsightly and are easily dislodged.

According to the present invention, an ash tray is provided with a liner which can be locked into place in the tray body, so that dislodgement or accidental removal is almost impossible. Furthermore, the liner is made collapsible and removable through an opening in the body bottom, so that a gathered and/or sealed package containing the ashes and butts is automatically removed from the tray, and may be crushed in the hand or .disposed of in its removal condition.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which a preferred embodiment is described, and in which FIGURE 1 presents a top or plan view of a preferred ash tray of the present invention. A cross-sectional side View, taken along the plane of line 22 of FIGURE 1, is depicted in FIGURE 2. FIGURE 3 presents a view similar to that in FIGURE 2, with the exception that the liner of the tray is partially removed. FIGURE 4 illustrates a top or plan view of another embodiment of the ash tray of the present invention, while a cross-sectional side view thereof, taken along the plane of lines 44, is shown in FIGURE 5. FIGURE 6 presents a view similar to that in FIGURE 5, with the exception that the collapsible liner is partly removed out of the tray body. The same numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral 10 designates an ash tray body made of metal, plastic, or the like, and having sides 20, bottom 21, and a circular recess 14 disposed in its top 23. A circular hole 11 is centrally disposed within recess 14.

A circular liner 13 is inserted in hole or cavity 14. This liner, when in expanded condition, has a flat circular sheet portion 24, in the center of which is attached a concentric, cup-shaped receptacle .25, having a bottom 26 and side wall12. Liner 13 is made of fireproof material, such as metal foil, fireproofed paper, glass cloth, or the like. Bottom 26 of cup portion 25 has a centrally-disposed tab 18 which may be grasped with the fingers and pulled to cause collapse of sheet 24, and to pull liner 13 through botom hole 11 in tray body 10.

In order to make sheet 24 more collapsible, the bottom of the sheet may have, glued thereon, thin, narrow radial strips 15, of heavy paper, or the like, so that collapsing of sheet 24 will take place in thinner areas 16 between strips 15. These strips may be extended as projecting edges 15' which extend beyond the upper edge 28 of recess wall 28. Recess wall 28 is tapered so that it is wider at its lower edge 28", and is wide enough to accommodate edges 15' of strips 15. Thus, upper edge 28 of recess wall 28 serves as a restraining means or look fed strip edges 15'. Bottom 26 of cup portion 25 also is ade of heavier sheet to withstand the pulling strain.

%ward-ly directed triangular lips 17 may be provided at n at the ends of strips 27, so that when the linear is collapsed, as in FIG. 3, the lips 17 will abut each other and fofm aclosed container out of liner 13.

The tray Rf FIGS. 1-3 is used as follows: Liner 13 is insertedliy first inserting cup .portion 25- into hole 111 of body 10. Then sheet 24 is spread out over recess 14, an edges 15' of strips 15 are popped into place under projecting ledge 28' which serves to lock liner 13 into place in ash tray body 10. When the liner 1G is filled with ashes and butts, the tray body 10 is picked up, and tab 18 is pulled. As sheet 24 passes over the edge of hole 11, it collapses in \a manner already described, and triangular lips 17 abut each other, forming a cover. The upper portion 24 of liner 13 is grasped as it comes out of hole '11, so that the liner is in closed condition. Then, it may be placed in the garbage as such, or it may be crushed with the hand into a compact ball, if desired. In the latter case, any unextinguished embers will be contained in the fireproof liner and thus will be unable to ignite flammable material in the garbage. crushed with the hand into a compact ball, if desired.

FIGS. 4-6 illustrate another modification of an ash tray made according to the present invention. Here, ash tray body 10 has a square or rectangular recess 14'. Recess wall 28a'has a narrower upper edge 28%: at each end of tray body 10'. Concentric hole '11 also is square or rectangular in shape to accommodate the square or rectangular cup portion 25 of liner 13. Tab 118 is attached to the rectangular bottom 26' made of heavier sheet of fireproof material.

Two of the upper edges of cup 25 are hinged to flat sheet 30 or 30' from which project flat ends 31 or 31' and sides 32 or 32', all of which are heavier sheet material. Between sides 32 and 32 is a square or rectangular collapsing portion 33 made of thinner sheet material. When tab 18 is pulled, flat portions 31 are closed together as thin portion 33 collapses when liner 13' is pulled through hole 11'. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the liner emerges from hole 11' as a closed box containing the ashes and butts to be disposed.

I claim:

1. An ash tray, comprising,

a body having a top, bottom, and sides,

a cavity having a bottom and walls, and disposed within the top of said ibOdY,

a hole disposed in said body, within said cavity and centrally poistioned with respect to said cavity and penetrating the bottom of said body,

a liner designed to hold the contents of said tray, and having a collapsible outer portion disposable on said cavity bottom and fitting snugly within said cavity walls, and having inner edges abutting said hole,

a cup portion made of sheet material and having a bottom and sides and tfitting snugly into said hole and attached at its upper side edges in sealing relation to said hole-abutting edges of said outer portion, and

a tab disposed on the bottom of said cup portion in a manner such that, when said tab is pulled, said cup is withdrawn through said bottom hole and said outer portion is collapsed to enclose the contents of said tray.

2. An ash tray according to claim 1 in which said outer liner portion is made of alternately heavier and thinner material, whereupon collapsing thereof takes place at the thinner material.

3. An ash tray according to claim 1 in which the outer portion is provided with projecting edges designed to seal the upper portion of said liner when in collapsed condition.

4. An ash tray, comprising,

a body having a top, bottom, and sides,

a circular cavity having a bottom and walls, and d-isposed Within the top of said body,

a round hole disposed in said body Within said cavity and centrally positioned with respect to said cavity and penetrating the bottom of said body,

a liner designed to hold the contents of said tray, and

made of sheet material and having a round collapsible outer portion disposable on said cavity bottom and fitting snugly within said cavity walls and having an inner concentric edge abutting said hole,

a round cup portion made of sheet material and having a bottom and side and fitting snugly into said hole and attached at its upper side edge in sealing relation to said hole-abutting edge of said outer portion, and

a tab disposed on the bottom of said cup portion in a manner such that, when said tab is pulled said cup is Withdrawn through said bottom hole and said outer portion is collapsed to enclose the contents of said tray.

5. An ash tray according to claim 4 in which the cavity 'wall is tapered to be narrower at its top, thus serving as a holding means for the flat liner edge.

6. An ash tray, comprising,

a body having a top, bottom and sides,

a quadrate cavity having a bottom and walls, and disposed within the top of said body,

a smaller quadrate hole in said body within said cavity and symmetrically and centrally positioned with respect to said cavity and penetrating the bottom of said body,

a liner designed to hold the contents of said tray, and made of sheet material and comprising a quadrate cup fitting snugly into said hole,

a tab disposed on the bottom of said oup portion and serving as a gripping means,

a flat bottom sheet disposed on the bottom of said cavity on each side of said cup (portion and hinged to the abutting edge thereof in sealing relation,

a flat end sheet attached at right angles to the end of each of said bottom sheets in sea-ling relation and disposed snugly against said cavity wall,

a flat side sheet attached at right angles to the sides of each. of said bottom sheets and to the side of its respective end sheet in sealing relation and disposed snugly against said cavity,

a collapsible sheet connecting each pair of the open sides of the uniplanar side sheets and the upper edge of said adjacent cup portion in sealing relation in a manner such that, when said tab is pulled and said References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1933 Ranhofer 22063 6/ 1955 Webke 22063 8/1960 Brannan 220-63 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Exmniner. 

1. AN ASH TRAY, COMPRISING, A BODY HAVING A TOP, BOTTOM, AND SIDES, A CAVITY HAVING A BOTTOM AND WALLS, AND DISPOSED WITHIN THE TOP OF SAID BODY, A HOLE DISPOSED IN SAID BODY, WITHIN SAID CAVITY AND CENTRALLY POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO SAID CAVITY AND PENETRATING THE BOTTOM OF SAID BODY, A LINER DESIGNED TO HOLD THE CONTENTS OF SAID TRAY, AND HAVING A COLLAPSIBLE OUTER PORTION DISPOSABLE ON SAID CAVITY BOTTOM AND FITTING SNUGLY WITHIN SAID CAVITY WALLS, AND H AVING INNER EDGES ABUTTING SAID HOLE, A CUP PORTION MADE OF SHEET MATERIAL AND HAVING A BOTTOM AND SIDES AND FITTING SNUGLY INTO SAID HOLE AND ATTACHED AT ITS UPPER SIDE EDGES IN SEALING RELATION TO SAID HOLE-ABUTTING EDGES OF SAID OUTER PORTION, AND A TAB DISPOSED ON THE BOTTOM OF SAID CUP PORTION IN A MANNER SUCH THAT, WHEN SAID TAB IS PULLED, SAID CUP IS WITHDRAWN THROUGH SAID BOTTOM HOLE AND SAID OUTER PORTION IS COLLAPSED TO ENCLOSE THE CONTENTS OF SAID TRAY. 